Double Crossed
by NoteEmmy
Summary: Kaiba's shipments have been disappearing steadily over the past few weeks. He becomes determined to capture the thief but finding two faces of failure with Yuugi's accidental help behind them is more than he can tolerate.


It had seemed a little more than strange that Kaiba's dock managers couldn't seem to get their shipment in without some sort of trouble. Every week for the past months his parts had been disappearing and it left the CEO in a terribly angry mood. About twenty people from different departments had been fired in the wake of not being able to solve the issue. Even his surveillance cameras couldn't seem to pick up what was going on. When the shipment hit the port in the early AM hours the cameras seemed to fizzle out and short all together. It created more problems than Kaiba wanted to deal with, but he had set out already to fix every single one by his own hand.

After all, since no one was capable of doing their jobs correctly, he'd have to. And if he could do it just fine without really interrupting his own work schedule, then everyone would be fired and no new hires taken from this department. He could only trust himself to get things done properly, after all.

The situation left him out on the docks around three in the morning, ready for anything. He was expecting an attack. He had his security team flanking him on all sides, though not out in plain view. It wouldn't really matter either way. If this was a competitor company stealing all of his parts before they hit production, they'd be smart enough to know he was bringing backup. He was seeking to end this problem permanently. No one got away from Kaiba Seto.

When the ship sounded its arrival with a low blast of its horn, Kaiba's eyes narrowed. Now would be the time. He tried to keep his eyes on every corner, every shadow, anything that moved from now until the ship pulled in. This was paramount. He was going to have to trust his own senses to be able to find the culprit.

The ship rolled up next to the dock without incident and the board was set for disembarking. Where were they? He could feel something. Something lying in wait.

Something snapped softly behind him and he twisted immediately to face his would-be attacker. But the pair of eyes he was suddenly facing had him feeling out of place and terribly confused.

"Kaiba-kun?"

His security team seemed to be distracted with something else entirely, and Kaiba had been fool to let himself become so questioning. The world collapsed around him as he felt a sharp blow to the back of his skull. Every last thing in him fought to stay conscious but it was a completely lost battle.

It felt like a very long time before the empty scape of his mind trickled back in with panicked thoughts of where he was and how he'd gotten there. A soft warmth surrounded him that he nearly wanted to give in to and stay down because of, but he couldn't afford it. His eyes snapped open, searching around before realizing that the heat around him was emanating from a pair of arms. He began struggling, easily overtaking the small body that had been hugging his and tossing it towards the side.

One look revealed he'd thrown Yuugi to his left. He couldn't find it in himself to care as he stood, sending a most threatening dark look at the other. As far as he remembered (and the memory was coming back slowly), he was now in this position because of the little pest. Had he been working with someone else? He never pegged Yuugi as the type to sell for another company, not the type for betrayal, but he'd never trusted that feeling completely, either. It was what had left him feeling not as disgusted with the other; pissed off, instead.

Yuugi slowly got to his feet, rubbing at his arms which were now smarting from taking most of the impact of the toss. "Who are you working for now?" Kaiba growled at him, hands clenched by his sides. "Is it Pegasus?" As far as he was aware, the short duelist and the elder creator were on good terms, as stupid as Kaiba thought that was. If it was Pegasus...

"I'm not working for anyone!" Yuugi yelled frantically, wanting to avoid Kaiba charging at him. The brunet seemed like he was backed into a corner and very angry. Yuugi wasn't stupid, he knew he had to try and defuse this situation before it got any worse.

"Bullshit. I come down here to find out who's been stealing my shipments and find you- not only you, but you as a distraction so someone can take me out." His arms crossed over his chest as he leveled that glare still at the other. "Where's your partner?" Who had been working with the other man? That answer was sure to help him figure out what was going on here.

"Kaiba-kun listen to me! I'm not working for anyone!" Scared of Kaiba's mood as he was, he was much more panicked over something else entirely. "I was following Jonouchi-kun down here. He's been acting strange for a very long time now. I was worried... I thought maybe he was in trouble..." The deep frown settled over the younger's lips as he pleaded with those big eyes of his.

The news wasn't very good, though, and Kaiba only found it easier to become that much angrier. "So, the mutt finally decided to exact some revenge and got you in on it." It wasn't the least likely of outcomes, really. Kaiba wasn't even really all that surprised. Maybe about the topic of Yuugi's help; the duelist wasn't really known for violence, but in the end, not all too surprising. "So, where is the loser?" The sooner he found out the sooner he could end all of this.

The brunet really was neglecting a few key elements in his ire, however. Jonouchi was not smart enough to short out his security cameras, and if he had given himself enough space to think about it, the CEO might have realized that Jonouchi was not strong enough to take out dozens of dockworkers every week, either. Stuck where he was right then though he couldn't find it in himself to think any other way. Jonouchi was behind this. Yuugi was helping him.

Both would pay dearly.

"So, so close, Kaiba." The familiar and gratingly annoying voice of the dog finally sounded- but something was just the slightest bit off. The strain was easy to detect in it, as well as something else entirely.

The glow that lit up the other corner of the room would key both duelists in to what was now going on, and it in no way made Kaiba's mood any better. His hands fell to his sides, fisting tightly as he glared at the on-comer.

"Oh- ...Jonouchi-kun..." Yuugi said sadly before stepping forward. "Or should I say Malik-kun? What happened? I thought... we were supposed to be done with this! I thought we were all friends now!" Yuugi wasn't one for giant bouts of anger, but he was feeling betrayed all of a sudden. Betrayed and confused.

The turn of events somehow set Kaiba to smirking. "This is what happens when you pay so much into the faith and friendship bullshit you spout all the time." Not like him. He might not have been entirely surprised by this outcome, but it wasn't hurting him like it was Yuugi. And that was what was most important.

The controlled blond smiled devilishly, advancing just the smallest step. "We were, but... his mind haunted me. After getting a look into it so deeply and completely as I had before, I knew I had to help him do just one thing."

Kaiba began laughing. "I can't imagine there was a lot to explore in that wide empty space he calls a brain." The laughter cut abruptly. "Spit out what it is you plan to do so I can crush your dreams and end this."

"He wants to defeat you!" Jonouchi began grinning so hard, clenching his teeth together.

Kaiba smirked. "Even with your enlisted help, he will never accomplish that. You've wasted everyone's time."

"I reiterate- He wants to _kill_ you."

Yuugi's eyes went wide, hands clamping over his mouth suddenly. "That's not true! Jonouchi-kun might not like Kaiba-kun but he would never!"

"_Yuugi_." Kaiba replied sharply, suddenly focusing his anger on the other. "What are you even doing here? Get lost." If the mutt was out for blood, Kaiba would have no problem in putting him in his place. But Yuugi's involvement in all of this was a nuisance as much as it was still a mystery. If he was going to kill the dog in cold blood it would be far easier if Yuugi wasn't there to scream at him to stop.

"A small hitch in my plan but not important." The blond answered. "He followed me out here. I thought he would be of good use to distract you. I was right." The grin came back.

Kaiba's lips drew into a tight line. "Get the hell out of here. I don't want to see your face around Kaiba Corporation for a long time after this, do you understand me?" Yuugi was always getting himself into trouble, and bringing everyone with him. It was one hell of an annoyance that Kaiba wished he could do without. "And you-" He set his attention on Jonouchi once more. "Can't do anything without someone pushing you? Someone aiding you the entire way? This is why you are **weak**. This is why you'll never be close to what I am. You are a _failure_." He spat out, not even impressed with the other's antics.

Something in those brown eyes seemed to flicker, a light that had been taken from them with the possession. "_Ngh..._ Shut your mouth... Kaiba.." It was Jonouchi's own voice and own volition.

And as much as Yuugi hated those two fighting, he knew he had to seize the moment. "Keep going, Kaiba!"

Not like the CEO needed an excuse to continue trashing the other. "I don't take orders from second-rates. You can barely pick yourself out of the dirt without Yuugi's help. Without him you'd be just another piece of dirt on the sidewalk. But dirt still is that- even when polished by the presence of a real duelist." He smirked.

The feeling of anger was entirely overwhelming next to the need for revenge and the control flickered once more. "I said... shut your damn mouth, Kaiba!" With that the other charged at him. In that moment Malik seemed to chime back in, producing a blade from his pocket. "Yes, we'll kill you and take it all!"

"Kaiba-kun!" Yuugi's alliance seemed to shift as he became more scared for the brunet's well-being than Jonouchi's.

It was a curious sudden alliance but Kaiba didn't have time to question it. He easily avoided the path of that knife, grabbing the blond's wrist and shirt and tossing him back into the wall. Without giving him another chance to get up his boot came down hard on the wrist still holding the knife. Twice it came down before Jonouchi released the blade with a cry of pain. And even then Kaiba couldn't truly stop himself. He reached down, picking the other up just enough so that he could deliver a hard enough blow to his temple.

"S-stop! That's enough now! He's still our friend!"

"You really must be delusional." Another hard punch was delivered to the dog's face before Kaiba dropped him to the floor and stood at his full height. He wasn't done being angry yet, however, and turned to glare at the other. "I really am getting tired of your bullshit. Of you. Of your pets. Everything. Keep a better handle on them or next time he won't make it out alive. And if you think either of you are welcome around my corporation again you are sorely mistaken." With that he turned on his heel.

Yuugi had taken to cradling Jonouchi in his arms, holding him close and trying to make sure Kaiba hadn't actually killed him. "I ... I'm sorry, Kaiba-kun..." He truly was.

But the apology failed to really hit its target as Kaiba was already at the door now. "Keep it up and you will be. That goes double for the mutt. Remind him of his place once he wakes up." And with that, coat tails flaring, he turned on his heel again and left. He had some papers to file now about bringing the dog into court. There, much like in his world, the real world, saying you were possessed into stealing company property and attacking a CEO didn't hold much weight. He would drag that dog down into the dirt where he belonged no matter who was standing behind him.


End file.
